A scheduled extraordinary session of Montenegro’s Parliament on September 24, 2026, intended to consider a proposal to dismiss Speaker Andrija Mandić, failed to proceed after a quorum was not established. The development triggered a confrontation between opposition lawmakers and members of the parliamentary majority, with European Alliance MP Boris Mugoša accusing the ruling majority of deliberately preventing the session from taking place. The dispute has added to tensions inside Montenegro’s Parliament over the speaker’s position and the conduct of parliamentary proceedings.
Mandić Dismissal Session Fails to Begin
The session had been scheduled for noon, with Mandić’s dismissal as its only agenda item. The initiative, submitted by the Democratic Party of Socialists (DPS), was signed by 35 MPs from several opposition and minority groups, including the European Alliance, Bosniak Party, Civic Movement URA, Democratic Union of Albanians and Croatian Civic Initiative, along with independent lawmakers. The initiative followed Mandić’s public expression of condolences to the family of Ratko Mladić, who was convicted of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes by international tribunals.
Before the scheduled sitting, Mugoša claimed that attendance cards had not been placed at the seats of most MPs from the Europe Now Movement (PES). He argued that this prevented those lawmakers from formally registering their presence if they attended the session. These allegations were made by Mugoša and represent his account of the events; the independently reported outcome was that the session did not begin because there was insufficient attendance to establish a quorum.
The dispute also extended to media access and the broadcasting of parliamentary proceedings. Opposition MPs demanded that journalists and camera crews be allowed into the plenary hall and that the session be broadcast, while lawmakers continued pressing Mandić to begin the proceedings. As the confrontation continued, MPs left the chamber without debating the proposed dismissal, and Mandić also left the plenary hall.
The political background to the confrontation extends beyond the immediate dispute over the session. The dismissal initiative had support from 35 MPs when it was formally submitted, while some members of the governing majority had also indicated support for removing Mandić. PES MP Seid Hadžić was among those who had publicly indicated that he would support the initiative, while independent MP Maja Vučelić was also reported as potentially supporting it. At the same time, other parliamentary groups had indicated that they would not support the dismissal.
The question of quorum was crucial because the proposed dismissal could not be considered without the parliamentary sitting first meeting the requirements for proceeding. Reports before the session indicated that potential support for Mandić’s removal could reach 39 votes, but that figure did not itself establish a quorum or determine the result of a vote. With the required attendance not reached, lawmakers did not get to the voting stage.
Political Dispute Remains Unresolved
Following the failed session, Mugoša described the episode as a serious violation of constitutional principles and accused PES of failing to respect the mandate it received from voters. Croatian Civic Initiative MP Adrijan Vuksanović also raised questions about media access to the parliamentary chamber. These statements are political assessments by the MPs involved and are not presented here as independent findings about whether constitutional or procedural violations occurred.
The failed Montenegro Parliament session leaves the dispute over Mandić’s position unresolved. The Parliament had officially placed the dismissal proposal on the agenda for September 24, but the absence of a quorum meant that lawmakers did not debate or vote on the measure. The immediate focus has therefore shifted from the substance of the dismissal proposal to questions surrounding parliamentary procedure, attendance and the ability of MPs to participate in proceedings.
The episode also highlights divisions within Montenegro’s Parliament as lawmakers prepare to address broader political and institutional issues. While supporters of the dismissal sought to bring the proposal to a vote, parties and MPs opposed to the initiative took different positions on participation in the sitting. The result was that the scheduled extraordinary session ended without a decision on Mandić’s future as speaker.
